1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a process for the production of optically active 3-aminocarboxylic acid esters from the corresponding .beta.-keto acid esters and the corresponding acids by saponification of the esters.
2. Prior Art
The 3-aminocarboxylic acid esters are basic building compounds, which in their .beta.-lactam form are contained in numerous antibiotics and in optically active form in naturally occurring peptides.
Optically active .beta.-amino acids have been produced by hydrogenolysis of chiral enamines with 10 percent palladium hydroxide on coal, or with sodium cyanoboron hydride in optical purities of 3 to 28 percent and yields of 11 to 32 percent [Furukawa et al. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 27 (9) 2223 to 2226 (1979)]. In such process, the bad optical purities of such products turned out to be disadvantageous.